University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia Arrives in Waco for NCEA National Championship
April 12, 2017 | Equestrian
Brief interviews and highlights with members of the UGA Equestrian team previewing Nationals.
WACO, Texas -- The No. 2 Georgia equestrian team has arrived in Waco, Texas for the 2017 NCEA National Championship to be held April 13-16 at the Extraco Event Center.
Evaluations are being held Wednesday with opening ceremonies beginning at 6 p.m. CT. The first round of competition begins Thursday and the 2017 NCEA National Champion will be crowned Saturday afternoon.
Georgia holds an 11-4 record on the season after claiming the SEC Championship Title. As the No. 2 seed, the Bulldogs received a first round bye and will face the winner of No. 7 Fresno State versus No. 10 New Mexico State on Friday in the quarterfinals.
"We're all very excited and extremely prepared for this exciting week at nationals," Georgia head coach Meghan Boenig said. "The team has been working so hard and have not taken their feet off the gas since winning the SEC Championship, they're hungry for more."
Georgia entered the SEC Championship as the No. 1 seed before defeating fourth-seeded South Carolina, 13-7, in the semifinal round of competition for 150 all-time wins. With the win, Georgia grabbed three MOP honors by Bailey Anderson (Horsemanship), Liza Finsness (Equitation on the Flat), and Meg O'Mara (Equitation Over Fences). In the match-up against Auburn for the championship, the meet was knotted at eight points each with three rides remaining. Kyndall Harper gave Georgia a 9-8 advantage, before Lindsey Cheek clinched the victory for the Bulldogs with a 139.5-138.5 win over Lauren Diaz. O'Mara (Equitation on the Flat) and Sammie Johnson (Horsemanship) earned MOP honors for their rides. Additionally, Meg O'Mara was named to the SEC All-Championship Team for Equitation on the Flat and Equitation Over Fences.
Georgia enters the 2017 National Championship looking for the program's seventh title. A win in the semifinals would mark the tenth time in eleven years that Georgia will advance to compete in the final round of the national championship.
The NCEA has partnered with EQSportsNet to provide live coverage of the NCEA National Championship. EQSportsNet's live video feed will be free for the NCEA National Championship. To watch this year's NCEA National Championship, visit https://eqsports.net/schedule to create an account or log into an existing account.
FOLLOW GEORGIA EQUESTRIAN: For complete information on Georgia equestrian, follow the team on its social media channels via @UGAEquestrian on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
THURSDAY, APRIL 13 - First Round
Bracket - Competition
A - (8) SMU vs. (9) TCU
B - (5) Texas A&M vs. (12) Delaware State
C - (6) South Carolina vs. (11) South Dakota State
D - (7) Fresno State vs. (10) New Mexico State
9 a.m. - Thomas Moore Feed Reining (Brackets A, B, C, D • Extraco Coliseum)
9 a.m. - Equitation over Fences (Brackets C, D, A, B • Extraco Show Pavilion)
2 p.m. - Equitation on the Flat (Brackets C, D, A, B • Extraco Show Pavilion)
2:30 p.m. - Horsemanship (Brackets A, B, C, D • Extraco Coliseum)
FRIDAY, APRIL 14 - Quarterfinals
Bracket - Competition
E - (1) Baylor vs. A Winner
F - (4) Oklahoma State vs. B Winner
G - (3) Auburn vs. C Winner
H - (2) Georgia vs. D Winner
9 a.m. - Thomas Moore Feed Reining (Brackets E, F, G, H • Extraco Coliseum)
9 a.m. - Equitation over Fences (Brackets G, H, E, F • Extraco Show Pavilion)
2 p.m. - Equitation on the Flat (Brackets G, H, E, F • Extraco Show Pavilion)
2:30 p.m. - Horsemanship (Brackets E, F, G, H • Extraco Coliseum)
SATURDAY, APRIL 15 - Semifinals/Championship
Bracket - Competition
I - E Winner vs. F Winner
J - G Winner vs. I Winner
K - I Winner vs. J Winner
8:30 a.m. - Thomas Moore Feed Reining Semifinals (Brackets I, J • Extraco Coliseum)
8:30 a.m. - Equitation over Fences Semifinals (Brackets I, J • Extraco Show Pavilion)
11:00 a.m. - Horsemanship Semifinals (Brackets I, J • Extraco Coliseum)
11:00 a.m. - Equitation on the Flat Semifinals (Brackets I, J • Extraco Show Pavilion)
1:30 p.m. - Canadian Pacific Railways NCEA Championship Starting Line-ups Ceremony (Extraco Show Pavilion)
2 p.m. - Equitation on the Flat Championship (Extraco Show Pavilion)
3 p.m. - Horsemanship Championship (Extraco Coliseum)
4:30 p.m. - Thomas Moore Feed Reining Championship (Extraco Coliseum)
5:30 p.m. - Equitation over Fences Championship (Extraco Show Pavilion)
6:30 p.m. - Canadian Pacific Railways NCEA Crowning of Champions (Extraco Show Pavilion)
Players Mentioned
